Planning group eyes revisions on moving signs

Sunday

Mar 24, 2013 at 8:40 PM

Intensive, intrusive, offensive were some of the “buzz words” used when the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commissions talked recently about possible revisions to the city's zoning ordinance in regards to signs with moving copy.

by Beverly Majors/Staff

Intensive, intrusive, offensive were some of the "buzz words" used when the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commissions talked recently about possible revisions to the city's zoning ordinance in regards to signs with moving copy.

The Planning Commission met in a work session to talk about possible revisions to the 2003 ordinance and made a list of recommendations for the City Council's consideration.

Council members in January asked that the Planning Commission look at the current ordinance on reader board signs and a public hearing was held on the issue in February.

During the work session last Thursday in the Training Room at the Municipal Building, Commission members decided to recommend that the light intensity part of the ordinance be the same as Knoxville's ordinance, setting the maximum at 3,000 nits for daytime and 750 nits at night. A nit is a unit of measurement of the intensity of visible light.

Doug Valentine, owner of Val-U-Signs on Midway Drive, told the Planning Commission that although two signs — one for Title Max and one for Karen's Jewelers — look different, the are the same as far as light intensity.

Valentine answered several questions during the meeting and offered the use of a trailered-sign exhibit so they could see the differences at different times.

The sign issue came up about eight months ago when residents in the Palisades neighborhood expressed concerns about the new sign at the Riverside Grill.

Then in December, the city sent out letters to about 18 business owners whose signs were apparently in violation of the city ordinance. Since then, the issue has come before Council, has prompted discussion with a new group, the Oak Ridge Business Coalition, and the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce.